The prairie dog is a social rodent. Prairie dogs at home Prairie dogs relatives

They relate to and have the corresponding instincts of a hunter. Although their usual habitat is nature, you can have such an animal at home. However, he will need proper care, including proper nutrition and content.

Description of prairie dogs

The prairie dog is a rodent that comes from the Squirrel family. Their colonies live on the prairies North America, in southern Canada, the USA, and also in Mexico. They have a massive body, short legs and a tail, due to which they visually resemble marmots.

Did you know? The communication language of prairie dogs has more than 11 different forms screams signaling danger. This may include barking and chirping. In addition, the sounds are accompanied by various postures.

This animal of the squirrel family has average sizes:

• Their body length is 30-35 cm, and weight - 800-1400 g. Females are 10% smaller in size and weight than males.
• Tail length is 4-11 cm.
• The color of their fur may have several shades. Thus, the gray-brown fur on the back of the animal is darker than on the belly. The species of this rodent differ somewhat in color, shape and size of molars, as well as in the way they sound.
• Located on the forelimbs claws, and the soles of the paws are protected by fur.
• Ears They have a wide shape, they are short and, like the tail, moderately pubescent.

Character and lifestyle of prairie dogs

Prairie dogs live on land that is covered with short grass. They drive active image life in daytime, and at night they sit in their burrow. Rodents dig such a house for themselves. It can reach 15 cm in width and 300 m in length. Often such a tunnel has several entrances and exits, and at a depth of up to 5 m there is a grass nest.

Some species of these rodents, such as the white-tailed prairie dog, hibernate for up to six months during the winter. But the black-tailed representative, on the contrary, is active all year round. The animal of the squirrel family feeds on plants, namely various herbs that grow near its burrow.

Reproduction and lifespan

Regarding their reproduction in natural conditions It can be noted that prairie dogs reach sexual maturity at 3 years. As a rule, the mating season occurs in May-April. The animal's pregnancy lasts for 28-32 weeks.

A litter can have from 3 to 8 puppies. They are born blind and without hair, but after 35 days their eyes will open. After a month and a half, they will become more independent and begin to leave the hole in search of food. Prairie dogs are capable of producing offspring every year. The lifespan of a male is 5 years, and that of a female is 8 years. The maximum period reaches 11 years, provided they live in captivity.

The prairie dog may be the most unusual pet. Since rodents are accustomed to living in the wild, it will not be easy to create comfortable conditions for them in your apartment.

Did you know? In 2003, prairie dogs caused a monkey flu epidemic. In this regard, in European countries and the USA it was prohibited to breed and sell these animals, as well as keep them as pets.

As for anyone pet If you live in a cage, you can purchase special toys and place them in the animal’s house. In addition, to imitate a natural habitat, you can please the rodent with tree branches that it can chew.

Since this animal is heat-loving, it must be kept at a temperature not lower than +17°C. If the mercury drops to +12°C, the rodent will begin to hibernate.

In conditions home care Prairie dogs can be fed with grass, oats, timothy, and a variety of hay crops. She should eat up to 1 kg of food per week. You can also diversify your diet with insects. In addition, the rodent can eat fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as grains and nuts. Don’t forget to fill your animal’s drinking bowl with fresh water.

Important! You should not feed your prairie dog food that is familiar to humans, as this can lead to serious problems. digestive system animal.

If you decide to have such a pet, then you probably have a question about choosing a gender. Such an animal will emit an unpleasant odor regardless of its gender, but the male “smells” stronger than the female. In any case, it is advisable to sterilize the rodent so that it does not spread the odor throughout the apartment and does not attack a person when it is ready to mate.

Starting up unusual pet in the house, it is necessary to remember that he is able to tolerate dangerous diseases, such as the plague. Therefore, you should periodically visit a veterinarian and consult with him about further care for the rodent. The prairie dog is prone to respiratory diseases. To protect the animal from this, it is necessary to vaccinate it in a timely manner.

A prairie dog can be tamed by giving it regular attention. However, remember that this is a rodent with sharp teeth and claws, so care must be taken when playing with it. The creature can be unpredictable and harm a person by biting him, for example, on the finger.

Important! It must be remembered that the toilet for the animal should be located away from the place where the animal sleeps or eats.

This animal can be trained to relieve itself in a specially designated place. Since in natural habitats a rodent digs a special hole for this purpose, appropriate conditions should be created for it, namely, providing housing for the pet with a mound of sand or earth. You can also use a tray purchased at a pet store.

In general, the animal is very friendly and is able to find mutual language with cats and dogs. In favorable home conditions, the animal will grow up cheerful and cheerful.

Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) make amazing pets and are rapidly growing in popularity.

Because of social structures where prairie dogs live, their condition depends on a harmonious relationship with others and neighbors. In nature, the prairie dog community is very similar to human society:
- each family has several square meters of its own,
- each prairie dog is busy with his work,
- rodents depend on each other.

Prairie dogs have great loyalty and courage and will fight bravely to protect their home, territory and family.

An adult black-tailed prairie dog reaches a length of 30-38 cm and weighs 1-2 kg. Fur color ranges from brown-gray to pale brown. The dogs' paws are short with sharp, hard claws. The head is wide and rounded, the eyes are black and quite large.

Prairie dogs quickly get used to captivity and their owner. Once tamed, a prairie dog does not try to escape into the wild.

Often, young prairie dogs are caught at an age when they are still drinking their mother's milk. Such dogs can quickly die if they are not properly cared for. Young dogs should be kept in a warm aquarium, with a heating pad placed under half of the aquarium so that the prairie dogs can move from the warm to the cool part of the aquarium. Feed young prairie dogs using a small plastic syringe (no more than 5 cc) Pedialyte with? cow's milk. Instead of milk, you can use Esbilac for puppies. This mixture is soldered slowly, drop by drop. Be careful to ensure that the baby can breathe after swallowing. Feed prairie dogs every few hours (2-4 hours). Make sure the mixture is warm. Make sure your prairie dog stays hydrated.

Black-tailed prairie dogs do not fall into hibernation. At a temperature of 12.7 "C, dogs become lethargic and sleepy. In such cases, they are warmed with a heating pad. If the prairie dog is not warmed, it may become hypothermic. Sick prairie dogs may also be lethargic and sleepy until they will be warmed, treatment will be unsuccessful. Normal temperature prairie dog body - 36.6-37.2" C.

In order to give the injection, you need to wrap a large towel along the animal's body to limit its movement. The injections are usually given in the thigh. To calm a prairie dog, grab it at the base of its tail with one hand. Remove the dog from the table surface, holding the animal upside down. Let the dog stand with its front paws on a support (for example, a cage door, your leg), and with the other hand, grab the animal by the back of its neck.

In nature, prairie dogs dig special holes in which they go to the toilet. When the hole is full, they dig another hole. In captivity, prairie dogs can be trained to go to the toilet in a ditch or box.

Prairie dogs should not be allowed out of their cage when there are no adults in the house, because... Animals may be injured, even fatally. If you do let the dogs out to frolic freely, do not forget to remove various chemicals (household chemicals) away, cover or disguise electric wires. Prairie dogs are terrible thieves. They especially love to steal socks. They do not chew them, but collect them in their cage.

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Research in field conditions conducted by biologists from the American Center for Environmental Science at the University of Maryland. Data collection took place over several months between 2003 and 2012 at a nature reserve in Colorado. The white-tailed prairie dog subspecies (Cynomys leucurus) lives here, as well as in Wyoming, Utah and Montana. These small animals live on the prairies, on dry land covered with short grass. They are active during the day, hiding at night in their self-dug burrows. The white-tailed prairie dog differs from its fellows not only in the color of its tail, but also in the fact that it enters a six-month hibernation. The black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), on the other hand, is active all year round and even moves through the snow. To better understand the life of C. leucurus, scientists literally “lived like them,” writes National Geographic. Biologists got up at dawn, took up observation posts and left them only after the last dog went to sleep in its hole. In 2007, one of the scientists noticed from afar some prairie dog activity around another rodent. It was hypothesized that this was an adult killing another dog's baby. In general, this behavior occurs in prairie dogs, but it was not known that white-tailed dogs also engage in this behavior. However, upon closer examination of the victim, scientists made a much more interesting discovery: the carcass belonged to another rodent: the Wyoming ground squirrel (Urocitellus elegans), another member of the squirrel family. Over the next five years, scientists "solved" 101 killings of gopher blizzards, and another 62 cases were described as "similar." Most of the “crimes” were committed in May - during the period when gophers emerge from their burrows to feed after wintering. The “hunters” were adults of both sexes. Meanwhile, prairie dogs do not eat meat at all: they are completely herbivores. According to biologists, by destroying the equally herbivorous gophers, they are fighting for food. This happens in the world of wildlife: herbivorous mammals such as rats can kill competitors, but in this case they will not disdain to taste its meat. Prairie dogs simply left the bodies of their victims without further attention. Scientists also found that not all prairie dogs in the studied population kill, and those that go “hunting” do so with varying intensity. One of the dogs killed nine gophers in four years, while the other killed seven in one day. But it was worth it: it turned out that the cubs of the “killers” grow stronger and healthier than those of the peace-loving representatives of the population. Thus, this model of behavior, developed in conditions of limited resources, turned out to be viable and did not even require a change in the food preferences of herbivores. find out

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- it looks like a big one. It got its name for its characteristic behavior. When coming to the surface, prairie dogs make sharp sounds, reminiscent of a jerky bark, and accompany them with light blows of the tail. Prairie dogs once lived in large numbers on the prairies of North America.

But with the development of untouched plains by European settlers, prosperity prairie dog the end has come. At first, their colonies died under the plow, since prairie dogs cannot live on arable land. Then came the turn of those prairie dogs that lived in the pastures. Shepherds and cowboys hated these animals for what was in their holes cattle and horses often broke their legs. In addition, prairie dogs were destroyed as competitors of domestic animals. After all, prairie dogs feed on young shoots, buds, flowers and seeds of steppe grasses.

Now prairie dogs survived only in protected areas of the prairies in the driest and most remote areas of North America. In some places there are specially protected colonies of prairie dogs on individual ranches.

Photos will tell more than words.

• KEY FACTS
• Name: Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)
• Distribution: Western USA
• Number social group: 10-20 individuals in a coterie; thousands in town
• Gestation period: 32 days
• Gaining independence: 6 weeks
• Territory: Up to 400 hectares

An alert and cautious prairie dog is gnawing on a bush twig. Its legs are so flexible that the animal can hold a twig as if in its “hand”.

Prairie dogs, which have chosen to live in the western United States, may not be very familiar to most Europeans. In their habitat these animals play important role, since they significantly affect nature.

Not long ago, prairie dogs, considered agricultural pests, were the target of a large-scale eradication campaign. As a result of such hunting, less than 2% of these animals remain today from the previous population of the species.

Complex social behavior prairie dogs are of particular interest to zoologists. Experts study black-tailed prairie dogs and often cite them as a classic example of successful group coexistence.

Prairie dogs are representatives of the genus of rodents of the squirrel family (for example, the common and gray squirrels are their relatives). Typically, individuals grow up to 30 cm in length and weigh up to a kilogram; males are larger than females. Prairie dogs have large paws with strong claws adapted for burrowing. These animals are called dogs because they make barking sounds, like puppies. Prairie dogs eat primarily grass and leaves, with a small portion of their diet consisting of insects and worms, although such preferences are unusual for rodents. Five species of these animals are known to science, but in this article we will focus on the most common species - the black-tailed prairie dog (Supotus ludovicianus).

Dog town

Prairie dogs are social animals. They live in colonies (up to several hundred individuals), which are called cities. Such a town consists of many underground burrows, occupying an area of ​​0.5-400 hectares. The largest prairie dog town was located in Texas. It occupied an area of ​​64,000 square meters. km and served as home to 400 million individuals.

Greeting and grooming are distinctive behavioral traits of prairie dogs. Most ground squirrels live in large groups, but they close relative- European ground squirrel - prefers a separate burrow within the colony.

The entrance to the “urban” prairie dog burrows is funnel-shaped with a very steep descent up to two meters long. The length of the hole is on average 30 m. Animals pile the excavated soil around the entrance. The formed cone-shaped hill up to 1 m high serves as an observation point and protection against flooding. On average, there are up to 100 such entrances per hectare, which allows the dogs to hide in a safe place at any time.

The burrow has food storage rooms, living rooms and other rooms. They are all close to the surface, so the dogs can always hear if there are predators nearby.

Prairie dog cities have a significant impact on the ecology of the steppes. A wide variety of animals can live in empty burrows, including the rabbit owl and black-footed ferret- species that are threatened with extinction. The feeding habits of blennies also influence vegetation and help control brush growth, which is beneficial for grazing livestock.

Family

Within the town, the dogs form small family groups called coteries. A coteria consists of one adult male, 3-4 adult females (often related) and their offspring for two seasons. Each coterie has a hole and its own territory (up to 0.5 hectares) within the town. Males are primarily occupied with defending their territory.

As a rule, 4-5 cubs are born to dogs every year. Naked and blind, the newborns remain in the burrow for six weeks. At this age, they begin to leave the hole and soon stop feeding on milk. The young remain with the coterie until they are two years old, then the males leave and form their own coterie. Females are in no hurry to leave and reproduce within the family.

Relations in the coterie are very close. Family members identify each other through a ritual called "kissing." Approaching each other with their mouths wide open, the animals touch their teeth. A common occurrence among prairie dogs is to take turns grooming each other's coats. Females often nurse the babies of their friends. However, males stay away from the nest until the young are several weeks old. At this time, males usually defend the right to occupy the chosen territory. Fights with residents of other coteries rarely involve physical combat.

A prairie dog keeps watch on a mound of dirt surrounding the entrance to its coterie. Each family has its own territory underground, where many individuals live.

The dogs scare each other by chattering their teeth and waving their tails, and also chase their opponents.

Vigilant sentinel

One of the behavioral features of prairie dogs is caution - their main defense against predators. Dogs are active during the day, when they are preyed upon by many predators such as coyotes, snakes and birds. When choosing a city location, animals prefer open areas, since abundant vegetation can interfere with visibility. If there is no such territory, they themselves clear a more or less suitable one: they cut the grass, but do not eat it.

During the day, the hole is guarded by one sentry. He stands on a mound near the entrance to the home, from where he can observe the emergence of danger. The animal's eyes are located at the top of its head, which provides excellent all-round visibility. When the sentry detects any threat, he emits a danger signal, similar to a bark, thereby warning everyone that it is time to hide in the hole.

It is believed that prairie dogs have one of the most complex languages among all animals. Over 11 different calls have been recorded, indicating the appearance of certain predators nearby. Screams are accompanied by a variety of postures, which allows surrounding animals to receive comprehensive information about the danger.